Two Routes In State Among 14 In U.s. Designated National Scenic Byways

September 21, 1996|By DAN UHLINGER; Courant Staff Writer

The Merritt Parkway and Route 169 in the northeastern corner of the state have been named National Scenic Byways, a designation given to only 12 other roads in the country.

``We're very pleased that these roads were chosen,'' Bill Keish, spokesman for the state Department of Transportation, said Friday. ``This gives not only national, but also international acclaim and acknowledgement. It recognizes them as . . . America's beloved roadways.''

U.S. Transportation Secretary Federico Pena named the 14 best scenic highways to a national list that will allow state officials to apply for funds from an $80 million program set up for byway improvements.

In addition to the two Connecticut roads, only one other road in New England -- the Kancamagus Highway in New Hampshire -- was chosen for the exclusive list.

Although the Merritt Parkway is well known to many travelers, Route 169 in Connecticut's northeast corner is one of the state's lesser-known treasures.

The section of Route 169 designated as a national scenic road begins in Woodstock and winds along for 32 miles through the towns of Pomfret, Brooklyn, Canterbury and Lisbon.

The New England postcard road is lined with century-old libraries and houses, beautifully sculpted landscapes and Yankee- trademark churches, in wood and stone, all framed with gray stone fences.

Nini Davis, executive director of the Northeast Connecticut Visitors District in Putnam, said the road provides a beautiful weekend drive and historical attractions.

``We were very proud for the state to recognize Route 169 as a scenic road a few years ago and to be recognized at the federal level is really exciting,'' Davis said.

Among the attractions on and near the road are the Prudence Crandall Museum at routes 169 and 14. The Crandall home and museum is the site of New England's first school for black women.

Also nearby are the Daniel Putnam Tyler Law Office and the Mashamoquet Brook State Park. The park is also home to the Brayton Grist Mill and Marcy Blacksmith Museum. Other places of interest include Roseland Cottage and Resourceful Judith, both in Woodstock.

In addition to the 14 best drives in the country, Pena also named another six byways as the ``best of the best, All-American Roads.''

Two of them are in Colorado: the San Juan Skyway running through stunning snowcapped mountains in the southwestern part of the state and Trail Ridge Road, which runs through Rocky Mountain National Park and crosses the Continental Divide at an elevation of about 12,000 feet.

The other All-American roads are: the Selma to Montgomery March Byway in Alabama; California's Route One, the Pacific Coast Highway; the Natchez Trace Parkway through Mississippi, Tennessee and Alabama; and North Carolina's Blue Ridge Parkway.